In need of a hug
by Jersey07
Summary: Hank never asked for anything. Except this time, he does.


_Fandom: Detroit Become Human _

_Pairing: Hank Anderson / Connor _

_Genre: Fluff, Family, Friendship, Romance_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any character of this story. I'm not making any money from it. English is not my native language. _

_Special thanks to Dexash and Ella for their reviews! _

.*.*.*.

Hank never asked for anything. He was a grown-up man, perfectly capable to make the difference between what he wanted and what he truly needed. And in these cases, he'd never been afraid to grab and take whatever it was.

Tonight was different though. Hank looked at the bottom of his now empty glass. He'd drink a couple of them in the past hour but he wasn't drunk. Not drunk enough anyway. He wished he could forget this day and the double child murder case he was working on. He hated working child cases. Brought him back the bitter feeling of loss. He'd seen the parents, told them how sorry he was, could see the wrenching pain on their face. He'd been through that and wished he'd never have to go through it again but that was an impossible dream, given the job.

He didn't hear Connor come inside the kitchen to put the groceries bags on the table, a worried look upon his face. Not that he'd never seen Hank in this state before, but it wasn't usual for him to drink so early in the day. It was barely about 6pm. Connor had worked the case with him so he knew. He knew how hard it was. The android hated to see Hank feeling so down.

_-"I brought this to cheer you up, lieutenant"_ he said, while setting a bag of crisps on the table. Hank loved munching on those. The lieutenant offered him a poor smile, unable to lift up his dark mood.

_-"Thanks, kid. I appreciate it" _

Connor scanned his vitals: moderate pulse, alcohol ingested above average, pupils slightly dilated. Nothing to worry about, Hank had been more wasted than this. But the pain and sadness in his eyes were hurting Connor, who developed quite an affectionate feeling for the detective. Nothing romantic really. He just deeply cared about him as a friend. Friends helped each other when times got rough and Connor wanted to be the listening ear, the shoulder to lean on when shit happened. As he stored the groceries away, he thought of what he could do to cheer up the detective.

He thought about this game Markus and North were playing, called "Pokémon Shield" where the characters got to camp and made curry for their Pokémon pets. It always seemed to rejoice everyone, including Markus and North who loved the game.

_-"I could cook us curry, if you'd like?"_ Said Connor, a little unsure. Hank eyed him thoughtfully and smiled. Sumo barked enthusiastically, owning a snort from his master.

_-"Well... The emperor Sumo has spoken. Curry it is then"_ he said, amused. "Need some help, Con?"

_-"You could help me cut the vegetables?" _

Hank got up and Connor handed him a knife and some bell peppers to cut. He placed them on the counter, washed and dried his hands. Before he could begin to cut the veggies, Connor grasped his hand and squeezed it lightly. Their eyes locked and the android flashed him a reassuring smile.

_-"I know this case has taken a toll on you. But I'm here if you need to talk or something..."_ He trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Hank smiled, amazed that the android could be at a loss of words sometimes.

_-"Or something, uh?"_ The detective teased him, unable to resist Connor's shy smile.

_-"I just meant I'm here for you. You can ask me anything" _

Hank knew he should have said something to deflate the tensed and solennel atmosphere, but he was just too tired to do so. Instead, he squeezed Connor's hand back and smiled, thankful to have him by his side.

_-"Well, that curry ain't gonna cook itself. We better get started"_ he said, clearing his throat.

They cleaned, cut and cooked the veggies before cooking the rice and adding the curry sauce. Sumo licked the spoon and seemed to appreciate the taste, as he asked for more. Dinner was ready and Hank stomach growled with impatience. God, the smell was divine. Connor could not eat but he sampled the curry and smiled. According to his database and his taste, it was almost perfect.

_-"Con... This is the best curry I ever had in my entire fucking life!"_ Hank swooned, rolling his eyes and grabbing another spoonful of curry. _"Where did you learn this recipe?"_

So Connor explained about Markus and North playing this game called Pokémon, the camping and the curry. Hank choked on his food and coughed from laughing. Connor gave him a quizzical look, wondering what was so funny about it but he had to admit hearing Hank laugh and seeing him so relaxed made his heart flutter.

They finished their meal and put the plates in the sink. They decided to clean them later as Hank wanted to watch a hockey game. They settled on the couch, Sumo laying his head on Connor's lap. Usually, Hank would drink a beer or two but he opted for tea instead, earning a surprised look from the android. The beverage smelled strong, a combination of black tea and oranges zests.

_-"If you wanna sample that, the teabag is on the counter"_ said Hank, sensing the android's curiosity, but it was more of a joke really. Connor eyed him while petting Sumo. Hank wasn't paying much attention to the game. The pain was gone from his Ocean blue eyes, but he still seemed sad.

Without hesitation, Connor took his hand in his again. Hank's gaze dropped into his tea mug, a soft smile upon his lips. He didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, only enjoyed the feeling of Connor's thumb drawing circles onto the back of his hand. Hank liked his lips before speaking.

_-"Said I could ask for anything, right?"_ He said, while Connor stared at him, intrigued and hopeful.

_-"I think I could really use a hug, Con" _

Their eyes met and the android pulled the lieutenant into a caring hug. Usually it was Hank who pulled him into a tight embrace. But this time, he needed this. He needed Connor's arms around him. The lieutenant put his head on the android shoulder and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling. He hold onto Connor like a drowning man, clutching at him. The younger man lightly touched his tousled hair and Hank understood why Sumo loved Connor petting him. It felt so right, so good. He never wanted to let go. They stayed curled up into each other for several minutes, still holding tight, until Connor felt Hank finally break down, releasing his sadness. He felt salty tears rolling down his neck onto his shirt. Connor never uttered a single word, letting the lieutenant weep to exhaustion. They both knew he had to let go at some point. And Connor would always be here for him, no matter what. He let Hank cry until he felt the lieutenant go limp in his arms.


End file.
